Clean Water Shortage, an Imminent Global Crisis How Vetiver System can Reduce Its Impact

摘要

Fresh water scarcity is predicted to become the greatest single threat to international stability, human health, global food supply and even the spectre of war over water. According to the World Resources Institute, within 25 years, more than half of the world population will be suffering severe fresh water shortages. Earlier research has demonstrated vetiver grass's extraordinary ability to withstand highly adverse climatic and edaphic conditions including elevated levels of salt, acidity, alkalinity, sodicity as well as a whole range of heavy metals. Latest research also shows its extraordinary ability to absorb and tolerate extreme levels of nutrients and consume a large quantity of water in the process of producing a massive growth. These attributes indicate that vetiver is ideally suitable for treating contaminated and polluted wastewater from industries as well as domestic discharge. This review covers past and current research and applications of Vetiver System in treating wastewater, including:1. Wastewater volume or quantity by: seepage control, land irrigation and wetland.2. Wastewater quality by: trapping sediment and particles, tolerating and absorbing pollutants, and heavy metals and detoxification of industrial, mining and agrochemical wastes. But the most significant advance recently, is the use of vetiver grass incomputer modelling to treat in dustrial wastewater. For this application, not only all known aspects of vetiver physiological and morphological attributes, but also its potential were carefully studied and analysed in the calibration process. The results again establish and confirm our admiration for this unique plant.